Iraqi Commander: Nine Islamic State terrorists arrested in operation west of Mosul

Nine Islamic State members were arrested in an operation, west of Mosul, Nineveh Operations Command announced on Wednesday.

In a statement, Maj. Gen. Hamad Names al-Jabouri, commander of Nineveh Operations, said “the Rapid Response Forces carried out an operation in several districts in the western side of Mosul, arresting nine IS members.”

On Tuesday, Jabouri was quoted saying that Nineveh police managed, during an operation, to arrest 20 IS members in Souq al-Maash region, west of Mosul.

Earlier this week, BasNews reported quoted a source from Nineveh Operations Command as saying that two senior IS leaders were arrested in Mosul as Iraqi troops continue to hunt for dormant IS cells across the country. One of them was the IS so-called finance minister, who was apprehended in an operation, north of the city. Another IS member, who was in charge of planting bombs in the eastern and northern axes of Mosul, was also arrested.

Thousands of IS militants as well as Iraqi civilians were killed since the government campaign, backed by paramilitary troops and the coalition was launched in October 2016 to fight the militant group, which declared a self-styled “caliphate” from Mosul in June 2014.

Islamic State continues to launch sporadic attacks across Iraq against troops. Security reports indicate that the militant group still poses threat against stability in the country.

Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi announced, in December, full liberation of Iraqi lands, declaring end of war against IS members.

Source: Iraqi News